Life's a Beach

All summer long, smiling, cheerful people have been asking me, "So how's your summer going?"  Where do I begin?  Well . . . I'm dripping in sweat 24/7, I'm miserably hot all the time, my kids are driving me nuts, my house is constantly a mess, I have no time to myself whatsoever, and I absolutely HATE not having a set schedule.  That's how my summer is going.  How's yours? (Smile)

This is my annual summer ritual.  I'm 95% miserable for the 100% of the season.  And on top of being miserable, I beat myself up for being miserable.  It's loads of fun.

So the other day, I thought to myself, "There has to be SOMETHING about summer that I like.  I can't STAND to hear myself complaining anymore."  But at first, I couldn't come up with a single thing.   Then it hit me - the beach.  The beach is one thing, maybe the only thing, I like about the summer. I love the ocean breeze.  I love the sound of the waves hitting the sand.  I love the feeling of the sun on my face.  And I love the relaxed feeling that comes with spending a day at the beach. 

So I'm doing an experiment.  Is one positive thought enough to dispel a whole season's worth of negativity?  By just concentrating on my love of the beach, can I turn my "stinkin' thinkin' " around?  Out of the 10 weeks of summer, I generally only spend one week at the beach.  Could I make it a point to add some additional beach trips to my summer calendar?  If I can't spend more time at the beach, can I bring some beach-y elements to my summer days - maybe with beach decor, or by listening sounds of the ocean, or by reading a book that is set near the beach?  Just thinking about the beach lifts my spirits. Even if I did nothing BUT think about the beach, my experience of summer would be more positive.  I believe I may have found the key to happier summers - and, not surprisingly, it begins with my thoughts.

~REBECCA